Dead cockroach in flour sees restaurant join name and shame list

A record 43 fines in eateries from Armidale to Warringah appear on the Government’s name and shame weekly update, Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald advised yesterday.

Twenty-nine new names join the list, with nine food outlets receiving two or more fines.

“For the second week in a row an eatery appears on the list which was caught allowing cigarette smoking in the food preparation area,” Minister Macdonald noted. “Food outlets need to be aware that it’s an offence to smoke not only in the public dining areas, but also in the kitchen, food preparation and storage areas.”

This week’s new additions to the list include a restaurant in The Rocks which has been fined $660 after a dead cockroach was found in flour.

“Consumers have the right to dine in a healthy environment and to know that their meals have been properly prepared,” Mr Macdonald added.

“Let’s be clear, the vast majority of food businesses across NSW do the right thing, and they deliver exceptional fresh food to consumers.”

From today, 1,074 offences in 647 food outlets are listed on the Food Authority website, including:

* A chicken shop in St Johns Avenue, Gordon received two $330 fines for allowing smoking in the food preparation area and for having unclean premises.
* A restaurant in The Rocks received a $660 fine for having a dead cockroach in flour on the premises
* A restaurant in Polding Street, Prairiewood received four $660 fines for improperly stored food, dirty premises and inadequate pest control.
* A patisserie in Station Street, Penrith received three $330 fines for having dirty premises and evidence of cockroach activity.
* A bakery in Botany Road, Mascot received three $330 fines for waste accumulation, poor food storage and insufficient hand-cleaning facilities.
* A Thai restaurant in Terrigal Drive, Erina received two $330 fines for an accumulation of dirt and grease and cockroaches in the kitchen.
* A restaurant in Belvedere Arcade, Cabramatta received three $330 fines for an accumulation of grease and grime, poor food storage and having an obstructed hand basin.